Although there is a growing push for consumers and businesses to switch from traditional oil and gas to renewable energy sources, the energy industry is still growing across its sectors. Jobs in energy management and expansion are plentiful, especially for engineering roles.
Field engineers are at its heart, ensuring new clients are supplied with what they need, and everything runs smoothly.
Field engineers are energy employees who work on-site to install, maintain, and troubleshoot equipment. They ensure that equipment performance remains high and is vital in bridging administration, clients, and the company.
The field engineer role offers a chance to be part of a team, lead technicians, and make valuable relationships with clients where you install their equipment and help them learn about it.
However, it can also mean a diverse arrangement of challenges and responsibilities, with no two days being the same.
What Is a Field Engineer and What Do They Do?
Field engineers act in positions where their job is both engineer and technician. They offer hands-on solutions to technical issues and work with the engineering team to design and implement engineering strategies.
In both the energy and construction sectors, they are responsible for keeping their employer’s technical and mechanical systems running smoothly. As the name suggests, this role usually works in the field rather than in an office.
As a field engineer, you will prioritize the maintenance and upkeep of the site’s infrastructure and take a lead in the site’s safety. You’ll keep important records and help other team members improve their technical skills.
Many field engineers also specialize in a particular area of the technical side of engineering, such as troubleshooting hardware and software or performing systems maintenance.
This job offers plenty of variety throughout the day, both in the environment and the breadth of tasks you could be assigned. It’s a job for those who like variety in their work.
Responsibilities of a Field Engineer
The key responsibilities of a field engineer can be broadly divided into administrative tasks, such as assisting clients and carrying out instructions from project managers, including overseeing some employees.
A few of the most critical and frequent daily tasks for a field engineer include:
Purchasing, Installing, and Maintaining Equipment for Clients
With their experience working with equipment, field engineers purchase the best equipment that works within the client’s budget and install them for the best efficiency. They may return later for annual maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades.
Client Education
While field engineers are available for problems, they often are responsible for maintaining a professional relationship with clients. That includes educating the client to solve small problems independently, preventing safety concerns, or addressing issues before they happen.
Recordkeeping
Field engineers are responsible for servicing and installing equipment. They maintain logs and records of all visits. If clients have issues, field engineers are consulted to discuss how to resolve the problem.
Lead Technicians and Supporting Staff
As a field engineer, you might assign tasks to field technicians and the supporting staff needed to install and troubleshoot equipment.
Project managers may require you to monitor staff performance and complete reports to identify potential contributors to future projects.
Other everyday tasks field engineers in the energy sector might be responsible for include:
- Conducting energy audits
- Drafting and submitting daily team reports
- Ensuring workers are safe and equipment is maintained appropriately
- Preparing daily work plans
- Overseeing and inspecting repairs
- Manage energy projects
- Installing new technologies and systems
- Assist with technical support
- Act as the contact point between employers and subcontractors
A Day in the Life of a Field Engineer
Every day can be different for a field engineer, and your day-to-day tasks will depend on whether you were hired to work in an office, in the field, or a combination of both.
“While a bachelor’s degree is the standard for field engineering, some companies require more advanced degrees for their more advanced positions.”
If you were looking at a hybrid job with some management responsibilities, you would start the day by overseeing operations at the site and the plant, including ensuring everyone follows safety protocols.
In the field, you may observe wind turbines or solar farms and help troubleshoot with other engineers or technicians.
You would assign tasks, make your own schedule, brief the relevant staff, and make sure that everyone is aware of and capable of doing their jobs. If there are any questions related to technical matters, you would help to answer them.
Depending on how busy the day is and the sector you work in, a field engineer in oil and gas may have different responsibilities than one in renewable energy. For example, you may be responsible for drilling equipment or solar panel technical drawings.
Working With Subcontractors and Customers
The next part of the day you may help to support and coordinate maintenance activities and assist subcontractors. After all the maintenance is completed, you inspect the work and prepare reports for the project manager about the equipment and areas affected.
Many field engineers also work closely with customers, sometimes even accompanying salespeople to provide support and installation.
While it’s unlikely you would only be performing sales support as a field engineer, some businesses will title these jobs as service engineers because they focus on servicing customers.
Becoming a Field Engineer
As the energy sector continues to grow and more areas require a move toward renewable energy, highly skilled field engineers are increasingly sought after. This could be a job for you if you have good communication skills, a mind for numbers and engineering, and enjoy solving problems.
Education Requirements
If you’re still in high school or just beginning university and aspiring to be a field engineer, consider a degree in a related field, such as electrical, information science, or mechanical engineering.
Choose courses such as mathematics and algebra that can help you develop analytical skills and prepare you for troubleshooting in the field and solving complex problems.
If you’re interested in a specific specialist field, learn all you can about it and obtain as much experience as possible before graduation. If you’re already working in the energy sector, try to gain field experience working alongside other field engineers or as part of their team.
While a bachelor’s degree has become the standard for field engineering, some companies require more advanced degrees for their more advanced positions. Consider a Master’s in energy systems, a type of engineering, or a related discipline.
Industry Certifications
Becoming a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) or LEED Accredited Professional will go a long way with recruiters, but showing that you are willing to keep learning and have experience in the field can also be a benefit.
Necessary Qualifications and Skills
- Minimum of related entry-level work experience
- Proficient in mathematics, technical reading, formal writing
- Ability to quickly learn and troubleshoot problems
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to work with a team but also able to work independently
- Employers may require certificates or training related to the energy sector
- Strong technical skills with a special interest in traditional or renewable energy
- Language skills if working abroad
Field Engineer vs Service Engineer
The terms field engineer and service engineer are often used interchangeably, and which term is used depends on the industry and the company employing them. Generally, they perform the same tasks, and a service engineer may spend just as much time in the field.
In addition to these two terms, job descriptions may refer to a field service engineer. This title also denotes the role of someone in the field performing an engineering service.
Conclusion
Field engineers play an essential role in the energy industry, working between technicians and project managers. As a field engineer, you will form valuable relationships with clients, help to train technicians and use your analytical skills on a daily basis.
With the energy sector growing, many opportunities for energy jobs require strong mathematical skills, but if you prefer solving puzzles and supporting your coworkers, consider looking into project management or a role offshore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the most common questions related to field engineers.
What is the highest salary for a field engineer?
Field engineers can earn between $95K to $155K annually. Although salaries depend on the company, the industry averages, and the sector of energy you’re working in.
What is the difference between a site engineer and a field engineer?
Field engineers concentrate on providing technical guidance and ensuring design accuracy. On the other hand, site engineers oversee daily operations to guarantee smooth processes and effective resource management.
What comes after field engineer?
After field engineer, you may want to move up into a project engineer position, like an assistant to the project manager. You could seek more responsibilities managing finances, technical issues, and people to train for the project manager role.
